Forgive Me Ruby
by NobleMETA
Summary: Set after Vol 3 Episode 9, what happens with Pyrrha after the battle is all said and done? How does she feel about what has happened and does the guilt start to overcome her? Sensitive topics incoming so please be aware of that before reading! Cover photo belongs to dishwasher1910 over on DeviantArt so please go check them out for some really incredible artwork.
1. Dear Agony

**AN: Really quick, this is pretty depressing and there is a seriously hard to read topic in this particular piece. If you don't want to read through it, I don't blame you, but I wanted to give you a heads up beforehand so that you know it's in here.  
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Lately, Pyrrha had taken to spending most of her time laying in her bed. Her covers were often pulled up over her entire body, head and all, leaving her shut out from the world around her. As much as her teammates wanted things to be different, Pyrrha didn't know if there was any way for them to help pull her out of the funk that she was stuck in. Then again, she didn't know if she even wanted to be pulled out in the first place.

It had been about two weeks since the events of the Vytal Festival, when the woman who stole the Fall Maiden's power had unleashed hell upon Vale and Beacon Academy. It had been a fierce battle to push her back and stop the carnage, but that was a costly victory. Much of the city was in shambles, victims of the attack lined up all over the streets, and many who fought back the invasion were cut down in the process.

People figured that in the two weeks since the event took place, that there would be a period of recovery and remembrance. A time where everyone could rebuild their spirits and gain what they needed to venture forth and help repair the damage. Many people were doing just that, taking time out of their day to help with the reconstruction of homes that were destroyed, or providing aid to those who needed it.

Unfortunately, not everyone was in a place where they could recover easily. Those who were injured needed to be healed, some more than others. Though, some of the wounds that were inflicted weren't physical, but were wounds of the mind. The kind of wound that couldn't be healed with medicine or the aid of a doctor.

This was the kind of suffering that Pyrrha had been experiencing since the moment the attack started.

At first, she was mortified by what she had done. One of the other combatants had died by her actions. Despite the fact that the poor girl turned out to be an android, Pyrrha still felt responsible for 'death' and the guilt clung to her like an ever present weight on her mind. Because of her actions, the Grimm came to the city in force. Combined with the panic that Cinder had stirred up from what had happened, Pyrrha had basically been the catalyst of the attack in the first place.

It was her fault, all the deaths that had occurred during the invasion were on her hands. Despite how much everyone tried to push the blame onto Cinder, Pyrrha still felt guilty for the part that she played in the destruction. It was because of her that the city came under siege. It was because of her that Jaune nearly got killed while he tried to defend her as she lay paralyzed in fear.

It was because of her that Ruby was thrown into the position of becoming the new Fall Maiden.

After Penny had been killed, Pyrrha went into a state of paralysis. She was afraid to do anything, fearing that she would end up being responsible for the death of one of her friends. As the city came toppling down around her, she just knelt in place, staring at the lifeless body of Penny. Pyrrha thought of what her friend Ruby would think of her now that she had been responsible for the death of one of her friends.

Her mind was a torrential downpour by the time members of the White Fang had reached the coliseum. Pyrrha was too afraid to fight them as they came to her. She didn't want to be responsible for any more death and destruction. Pyrrha couldn't bear with what she had done, and now it was too much for her to handle.

If it wasn't for her teammates, Pyrrha would have been just another casualty on the already large list that came from this attack. Unfortunately, her leader, Jaune Arc, nearly became a casualty in her place. Fighting tooth and nail to keep her safe, he nearly paid the ultimate price in the middle of the battle. Facing what seemed like impossible odds, Jaune stood up against the wave of White Fang soldiers that looked to harm Pyrrha. While he held them off valiantly, he nearly lost his life when a sword came up through his guard and pierced his stomach, running clean through.

As his blood sprayed onto her face, Pyrrha finally broke free from her paralysis. She saw the scene in front of her, how Jaune was on his death bed defending her. She cried out and felt a shift as everyone shot far away from her. She ran over to Jaune, crying because she knew that his life was on the line because of her. When she saw that he was still living, Pyrrha immediately ran to a place where she could try and take care of him.

In her state, she came upon Ruby fighting against the woman who had stolen the Fall Maiden's power. Pyrrha only saw the end of the fight, the moment where Ruby ran the end of her scythe through Cinder's stomach, tears in Ruby's eyes as she committed the act. Pyrrha just watched as her friend ended another person's life, no matter how evil the person was. She knew almost instantly that Ruby was going to feel hurt because of what she was forced to do.

But it was also in that moment where Pyrrha saw the Fall Maiden's power transfer from Cinder to Ruby. The rest of the power, sensing the change, left Amber's body and rejoined its other half. At least that's what Pyrrha assumed had happened, though Pyrrha would later come to find out that was exactly the case. Ruby now had the power of the Fall Maiden, and it was all Pyrrha's fault.

Eventually, Jaune was taken to a medical center where he was currently laying, still unconscious from the battle that had nearly claimed his life. Pyrrha didn't know when he would wake up, and she didn't know how he would react to her when he did. The rest of her team managed to make it through the battle with a few minor injuries, though they seemed to be more concerned about Jaune and Pyrrha's well being over their own.

One thing that Pyrrha didn't know about, was what Ruby thought of her now that the fight was over. Pyrrha was responsible for killing Ruby's friend, a crime that Pyrrha felt there was no excuse for even given the circumstances. Pyrrha didn't even want to try and speak with Ruby, fearing that if she were to do so, Ruby would outright reject her as a friend. Thus, she spent most of her time curled up in a broken ball, laying on her bed and shutting herself away from the world around her.

Pyrrha felt responsible, for the deaths of countless lives, for the destruction of Ruby's friend, Penny, and for nearly getting Jaune killed, as well as forcing Ruby to take up the mantle of the Fall Maiden. It was all her felt, a feeling that she held deep inside her for the past two weeks.

After a few moments, Pyrrha finally decided to throw the blanket that was covering her off of her head. She walked over to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror, taking note of how terrible she looked. Her eyes were bloodshot from unfathomable amounts of crying, her normally well kept hair was in shambles, and she looked like she hadn't eaten in a few days time. Despite how horrible she looked, Pyrrha did not care to make any effort to clean up her appearance. Instead, she simply took the shirt and pajama bottoms that she was wearing, and kept them on before walking out of the dorm room.

Pyrrha walked up to the roof of the dorms, her body taking her up there while on auto pilot. Her mind was too busy thinking about how responsible she was for everything that happened, and before she knew it, Pyrrha felt the breeze from the fresh air around her.

Looking out, Pyrrha could see the destruction that still remained in Beacon's halls. Some of the broken rubble still scattered about the various locations on the grounds. Looking out towards the city, Pyrrha could see the remains of the destruction there as well.

' _This is all my fault,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she stared out upon the ruins. ' _Every single death is because of me. Why did I have to be the one that cause all this pain?_ '

Fresh tears started to flood out of Pyrrha's eyes as she started to shake. She had figured the reality of the situation, but it never hit this hard until she was out here, staring upon the results of her actions. That's always what got to Pyrrha the most, seeing what she had done before her eyes. Nothing could change that, no single bit of magic or hope could reverse what she had done. She was forever stuck with knowing just how much pain she had caused to everyone in Vale.

' _Maybe it would be better if I was just gone,_ ' Pyrrha's mind said. Subconsciously she started to take steps forward, the ledge of the building growing closer and closer with each painfully long moment. ' _Everyone who died deserves justice for what I did, and the one's who made it would want vengeance anyway. Maybe it's for the best if I just disappear._ '

As she grew closer to the ledge, she thought about everyone she had become friends with during her time at Beacon. Her teammates, Jaune, Nora and Ren, the members of Team RWBY, and everyone else who she learned about and taken to speaking with. For once in her life she had people who cared for her, and now she lost it all because of what she had done. She didn't deserve to have them as friends, and they didn't deserve to bear with her betraying them like she did. At least, that was how she felt.

As Pyrrha was about to take that final step off the ledge, she closed her eyes and waited for the drop. ' _It's all I deserve for the pain I've caused,_ ' She thought to herself as her foot left the ledge and found nothing but air beneath it.

Instead of finding herself falling downwards towards the ground, Pyrrha felt someone pull her back from the ledge instead. Noticing the feeling of being pulled away, Pyrrha opened her eyes as she was thrown further into the roof. Turning to see who it was that came for her, she was surprised by who was standing before her. It was the last person she expected to pull her back from the brink of death itself.

Ruby Rose.

"Pyrrha, what were you just trying to do?" Ruby asked, tears visible in her eyes and her voice shaking.

Despite hearing Ruby's question, Pyrrha didn't know how to respond to her. Paralysis took over once again as Pyrrha felt her mind shut down. This time, instead of causing untold amounts of damage, she was responsible for hurting her friend once again with her actions alone.

"Please, tell me that you weren't about to do what I think you were doing," Ruby pleaded, hoping that Pyrrha had a good reason for what was going on.

Instead of an answer, Pyrrha finally moved. Her movements weren't to say anything, or reassure Ruby that she wasn't going to end up killing herself. Instead, Pyrrha pulled her legs up to her chest and cried into her knees. The guilt crashed into her harder than ever, with new guilt being added on top of what she had to bear with already.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha wailed as she felt herself slipping further into despair. "It's all my fault." Pyrrha simply repeated herself a couple times, her mind unable to come up with anything else to say to the younger girl.

Pyrrha half expected Ruby to get mad at her over what she did just now, on top of her actions during the tournament. What she got instead, was a comforting hug from the younger girl. It forced Pyrrha into a stall, the red head unable to comprehend why Ruby would want to give her any help. Staring wide eyed at the ground in front of her, Pyrrha simply listened while Ruby spoke to her.

"Please don't feel like it's your fault, Pyrrha," Ruby whispered into Pyrrha's ear. "What happened wasn't your fault and I don't blame you for any of it."

Shaking her head and pushing herself from the hug, Pyrrha backed away from Ruby as far as she felt she could. "You're wrong," Pyrrha said, her voice weak and hoarse from crying. "Everyone that died as a result of this, all the destruction, what I did to Penny..." Pyrrha turned to look at Ruby, her hands held out like she carried blood on them. "How can you say that I'm not responsible? How can you go and believe that this wasn't my fault?"

Ruby just walked up and wrapped Pyrrha up in a hug, hoping to comfort the older girl some more. "I don't blame you because I realize that you were forced into the situation you were in. I know you didn't want to hurt Penny, or cause any of this to happen."

"Even after what I was about to do?" Pyrrha asked. "Do you still believe any of that now?"

"OF COURSE I DO!"

Ruby's shout was much louder than she anticipated, and it left Pyrrha reeling in surprise. "Pyrrha, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by the fact that you thought that killing yourself was the answer to this," Ruby began to explain. "But I understand that this is hard for you to deal with. I know you feel guilty for all of this, but I don't want you to feel like the only answer is for you to end it all." Ruby hugged Pyrrha tighter as she went on, hugging Pyrrha the tightest as she reached her final statement. "If I were to lose another friend, especially you, after all that has happened, I don't know what I would do."

Hearing how passionately Ruby felt, Pyrrha knew there was nothing that could be done to stop the tears from flooding out in torrential fashion. She felt her body give out, the only reason she didn't hit the floor was because Ruby held her up. Pyrrha started to cry into Ruby's shoulder, knowing just how close she came to ruining her friends life even further than before.

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha muttered over and over again as she sobbed into Ruby's shoulder. "I failed you as a fellow huntress, and even worse, I failed you as a friend."

Ruby took the opportunity to rub Pyrrha's back as she let out her woes. As she did so, Ruby helped guide Pyrrha down to the ground where the two of them sat down, neither of them having the energy to stand up any longer.

"Maybe it's best if I just leave Beacon," Pyrrha suggested.

"What?"

Ruby was shocked by what Pyrrha said, though part of her wasn't surprised by the sudden declaration. Wide eyed, Ruby listened to what Pyrrha was thinking as she explained her statement.

"I failed as a huntress," Pyrrha began to say. "My actions, whether intentional or not, are the cause of thousands upon thousands of deaths. Even more are injured, including my team's leader, and who knows whether or not they will survive. I've failed the people that I've sworn to protect, and I failed you as a friend." Pyrrha looked down at her hands, the hands responsible for so much pain and destruction. "I don't deserve to be a huntress."

Instead of agreeing with Pyrrha, Ruby simply held those hands that Pyrrha was staring at, and looked up to her. Once Pyrrha locked eyes with Ruby, the silver eyed girl gave her friend a smile. "Nobody's perfect, Pyrrha," Ruby reminded her friend. "When I first came here, I wasn't as mature as I am now, and I acted recklessly. Now though, I've grown as both a person and a huntress."

Ruby turned her head and stared out into the horizon ahead of her. "My uncle told me something once," Ruby said after a moment of pause. "He said that the only way to grow as a person, is to fail. Your failures help you decide how to overcome them, whether you actually do so or not. It's when you overcome your failures that you really and truly grow." Turning back towards Pyrrha, Ruby once again smiled at the red head who's hands she still held onto. "This may be a moment of failure for you as a huntress, but it's the only way for you to grow."

Standing up, Ruby held out her hand, giving Pyrrha a chance to take that first step towards growth.

It was the moment of truth for Pyrrha. Either she takes Ruby's hand and works to better herself, knowing the long and hard road ahead of her. Or she gives it all up and let's her friends down once again. Despite that decision though, it was much tougher for Pyrrha to make than most others would believe. The guilt that she felt was strong, that was going to be the biggest obstacle for her to overcome. It was one that wouldn't be defeated easily, and Pyrrha knew it, but after hearing Ruby believe in her, Pyrrha felt like it might become better in the end.

Taking a firm grasp of Ruby's hand, Pyrrha felt the younger girl help her stand up. Ruby immediately pulled Pyrrha into a hug and hold on tightly. Pyrrha of course returned the hug, though not as vigorously as Ruby did, she still had a long way to go before she believed in herself. Once the two of them ended the embrace, Ruby grabbed a hold of Pyrrha's wrist and started to walk with her back into the dorms.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes?"

"Where are you taking me?"

Ruby stopped and turned towards Pyrrha, giving the taller woman a smile. "We're going back to your room, and we are going to get a nap. I'm going to be staying with you because as much as I trust you right now, I'd rather keep you in my sight for a little bit of time. I'm sure you can understand, right?"

As much as Pyrrha hated to admit it, Ruby was right. Hell, Pyrrha didn't even trust herself at that point, so having Ruby help keep an eye on her was probably for the best. Without any more to say, Ruby went on to drag Pyrrha back to the dorm.

By the time they got back, Pyrrha started to climb into her bed. She was surprised when Ruby started to climb into the same bed as her, and paused before fully entering.

As if reading Pyrrha's thoughts, Ruby smiled and explained herself. "You look like you could use a hug right now, so, I'm making sure to help you as much as possible."

Seeing as how Ruby wasn't going to let up, Pyrrha gave in and joined her friend in the bed. Pulling the covers over her, Pyrrha felt a pair of arms snake around her stomach, and a large mass press up against her back. She could feel the breath on her neck as Ruby's face was so close to her body. It gave her a strange feeling, her body warming up and her heart rate shooting skyward. Pyrrha's face began to redden, and it was fortunate that Ruby couldn't see her like this.

Pushing that to the side Pyrrha felt exhaustion overcome her and she decided to lay her head down onto the pillow. Before she fell asleep she whispered one last thing to herself, believing that Ruby wouldn't hear her.

"Please, forgive me, Ruby."

With that, she shut her eyes and let sleep come to her. However, once she was asleep, she failed to hear Ruby respond to what she had said earlier, before falling asleep.

"I already have."

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 **AN: I can already see the questions for why I wrote this fic. Well for starters, I have one major reason why I felt this needed to be written. That reason is because out of all the reactions I've seen so far for the episode, almost none of them were concerned for how Pyrrha felt about what happened. Everyone is more worried about Ruby losing her friend, than Pyrrha having accidentally "killed" someone. So, this is my take on what happens with that.**

 **Obviously a lot of things will probably be proven wrong with the coming three episodes, but given what happened, I really felt like this needed to be written. At the same time I feel like this is a very likely thing to happen during the episodes to come, given how the last episode ended.**

 **Fortunately, I do have plans to make this a four-shot story. Meaning that there will be three more chapters that come from this. And yes, this will end with Victory Rose because there needs to be a happy ending by the time I'm done with this. I don't want to just write sad Pyrrha for too long and not give her some form of happiness by the time we are done.**

 **So, please let me know what you think of this, and hopefully I wrote something good for you guys to read.**


	2. Dark Before Dawn

When Ruby said to Pyrrha that she wasn't going to let her out of her sight, Ruby seriously meant it. The past two days, the pair had spent almost all of the time together in Pyrrha's dorm room. Nora and Ren gave them the privacy that they felt the two needed, and would often leave the room so that they didn't intrude on anything between them. Neither Ren, nor Nora knew of what had transpired back on that rooftop between Ruby and Pyrrha, what their teammate almost did to herself in her personal despair. If it were up to Pyrrha though, they wouldn't ever hear about how she almost gave up completely.

Despite how much time Ruby spent with Pyrrha, it only had a limited effect on the older girls emotions. Pyrrha still felt disheartened at times, though it was quelled by Ruby in considerable fashion. Ruby's attempts at helping Pyrrha throughout the past two days had done nothing more than help pass the time and get Pyrrha's mind off of what had happened for a few moments. Pyrrha had even questioned on multiple occasions why Ruby was still trying when she felt it was all but futile.

In the end, Ruby didn't give up on Pyrrha. It was a feeling that stuck with Pyrrha throughout the time they were together. Ruby refused to give up on Pyrrha, even when she had given up on herself. That alone gave Pyrrha plenty to think about, and she was grateful at least, for all that Ruby had done for her. Pyrrha was starting to recover, something she didn't think was possible two days prior. New feelings started to arise in her now that were taking the place of the ones that were burned away thanks to Ruby.

Now, life was starting to get back to normal. Classes were planned to start back up again that day, and Pyrrha knew that she still needed to go even if she didn't feel up to it. The past two days had been the best days she experienced in a long time, but even they had to end sooner or later. It was with a heavy heart, and a mind filled with doubt, that she bothered to crawl out of bed that morning. To leave the embrace of Ruby was the worst part of her day now. She quickly realized that there was an attachment to Ruby that had developed in the two days they spent together.

Ruby had spent her evenings in the same bed as Pyrrha. Her excuse, which Pyrrha found surprisingly endearing, was that she wanted to make sure that she held onto Pyrrha as a way to know that she was still around through the night while they were asleep. Not only did Ruby know that Pyrrha was still around, but it gave Pyrrha a reminder that there were people who still cared for her, who wanted her around after what had happened. When they weren't laying in bed, which they spent a majority of their time doing even when they were awake, the two of them were talking. It gave Pyrrha a chance to talk about her feelings, let out the weight she felt bearing down on her. Yang often had to come over and drop off food for the two of them since they wouldn't leave to get it for themselves.

Still, Pyrrha knew that she needed to make sure that this day went well. That meant that she had to prepare herself as much as she could to face the world. First and foremost, she needed a nice warm relaxing shower, followed by something substantial to eat. Unfortunately, she didn't want to leave Ruby's arms. It was a welcome comfort to the older girl, one that she didn't want to let go of anytime soon.

Feeling Ruby stir, Pyrrha couldn't help but give a faint smile once she saw Ruby's eyes open. "Morning, Ruby," Pyrrha whispered softly.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Ruby noticed, a smile starting to crawl over her own face as well.

"It's probably just because of the fact that I have such a wonderful friend that stuck with me even though I don't deserve it," Pyrrha responded. "You didn't give up on me."

"No offense, but did you seriously doubt that I would do something like that?" Ruby asked as the two of them started to sit up. They looked over and saw Ren and Nora laying over on one of the other beds in the room, leaving the one the two had that was unoccupied, and Jaune's empty bed.

Looking off at the door, Pyrrha's face fell. She brought her knees up to her chest and held them tightly. "Is it bad that I thought that?" Pyrrha asked after a moment of contemplation over what Ruby said. "Not that I doubt you, but I honestly didn't think anyone would show this much care over me after what I did."

"How many times do we have to be over this?" Ruby asked, rubbing Pyrrha's back to try and comfort the girl. "Nobody blames you for what happened. I don't, your teammates don't, none of our friends blame you."

Pyrrha looked over at the empty bed of her partner. Jaune was still in the hospital unconscious, and it left a feeling of emptiness in the room with his absence. "I still feel at fault for all of this," Pyrrha said. "I know you say otherwise, but that's just how I feel. Honestly, I don't know if this feeling will ever go away, no matter how much I want it to. I'm always going to feel guilty for being responsible for the loss of so much life."

Ruby knew it wasn't going to be simple, but it still hurt seeing Pyrrha put so much blame on herself. Wrapping Pyrrha up in a hug, Ruby rested her head on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Just promise me that you'll let me do what I can to prove you wrong."

It was really sweet how Ruby was putting this much effort into helping. Pyrrha knew that if anything, Ruby was probably one of the best friends she could ever have. "As long as you're around, then I would feel better."

"I would say get a room, but you two are already in one," Nora chimed in from the other side of the room.

The moment Nora joined the conversation, Pyrrha immediately dropped back down to the bed and threw the covers over her head. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by what Nora said, but she felt as though what was really going on was misconstrued as something romantic. She knew that Nora understood the situation, but it still didn't help her emotionally.

"Nora," Ren said, hoping to resolve this quickly. "That really wasn't appropriate."

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little," Nora said as she stood up and walked over to Pyrrha's side. "I really hate seeing you like this and just want to see my friend smile again. Thought maybe a little humor would get some kind of good response, guess I was wrong."

Hearing Nora's reaction was good, it helped Pyrrha see why she did that in the first place. Even though it wasn't the smartest way to help, it was still done with good intentions. Pyrrha didn't find any way to fault what she tried to do.

"I appreciate the sentiment," Pyrrha said once she uncovered her head from the blankets. "But right now, it's not what I needed. Though I'm really grateful that you want to help."

"I don't want to see you this upset anymore," Nora replied. "Why can't we have happy Pyrrha back? Like Ruby said, none of us blame you for what happened, never have never will. You're our friend, so we know that you wouldn't do this on purpose."

"I know," Pyrrha whispered in response.

Instead of letting the conversation go any further, Ren stood up and walked over to the rest of the room's occupants. "We should really start getting ready," He said once he approached them. "Classes are starting back up today, and I'm sure both of you need to take a shower and clean up a bit."

"Yeah, that's true," Ruby chimed in, rubbing the back of her neck, before turning to Pyrrha with a thought. "Who knows, maybe a shower will help you feel better."

Pyrrha started to pull the covers off of her and sat at the edge of her bed. "I assume you're going back to your room to shower?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, it might be better that way since it'll save on time," Ruby said, though she was a bit disheartened at the thought of leaving Pyrrha's side. "You going to be ok with me gone?"

"I'll be fine," Pyrrha said. "Though if it helps you feel better, Ren and Nora will be around with me the entire time, right guys?" Instantly after asking the question, Pyrrha received a salute from Nora, and a nod from Ren. "See, everything will be fine. You go take a shower and get ready for classes." Pyrrha tried to put on a smile for Ruby, but everyone could tell it was at least partially forced. Ruby knew that what Pyrrha was going through wasn't something that would be easily fixed.

"Alright, I expect to see you by the time breakfast rolls around, and eating something substantial," Ruby demanded. "Ren, Nora, you keep an eye on her while I'm gone. I may not be your team leader, but as your friend, I'm asking you to do this for me."

"You got it, partner!" Nora declared as she started to make her way over to the bathroom. "Come on, Pyrrha. You need to shower, and since Ruby doesn't want you alone, I might as well hang out in the bathroom with you! Don't worry though, I won't peek or anything like that."

Hearing Nora react like that, Pyrrha didn't know whether she should hide, or just accept her fate and get it over with. She saw Ruby start to head back to her own room, taking one last glance back at her before walking across the hallway. With a sad sigh, Pyrrha finally stood up and walked over to the bathroom, grabbing everything she needed for her shower in order to get started with her day.

* * *

Despite how much of a welcome relief a warm shower and a hot meal had been for her health, Pyrrha still felt saddened by the time classes started. The best part of her day to that point had been any moment she spent with Ruby. The young ball of energy had certainly left an impact on Pyrrha, one that she had noticed easily. Pyrrha realized how much she started to depend on Ruby to get her through the day.

So once Pyrrha heard Professor Port call upon Ruby to inform him that Ozpin required her presence, it hurt Pyrrha's drive and focus during the remainder of the class. She watched Ruby walk away, and instantly her mind went to darker places. Though she no longer had thoughts like she had before, the guilt was still building up within her. She felt that there was no escape from it, no matter how much Ruby tried to fix things.

Her attention was so far gone, that when called upon by Professor Port, she had failed to notice any of the attempts. It wasn't until Yang had smacked her on the arm before Pyrrha remembered that class was going on. When she realized that Port had called upon her, she tried to focus, but Professor Port had instead asked her to stay behind after class so he may speak with her about something.

Sitting down at the front of the room while Professor Port gathered the papers at the desk, Pyrrha had to wonder what it was that he wanted to speak with her about. Perhaps he was upset by the sudden change in Pyrrha's attention, how she got easily distracted during his class.

"Miss Nikos, is there anything that you want to talk about?"

It was a surprise to hear him finally speak up, and she was once again startled out of her thoughts. "Pardon?"

"I can tell when a student of mine is in need of help, whether for pains that are physical, mental or emotional," Port explained. "Today, I saw that once again in one of the single brightest and talented young students that I have ever taught in my entire career at Beacon. While it isn't the first time, it always hurts to see someone so young and full of life become overtaken by guilt and grief."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, confused about what it was that he was talking about.

"Given what happened to you during the festival, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some form of psychological trauma that you are experiencing right now," Port said. "I don't mean to make light of it, or act callous about this, but when one of my students experiences this, I make it a personal goal of mine to do everything that I can to help them overcome it."

Professor Port wasn't wrong, Pyrrha was still distraught over what had happened during the festival, what she had done. She just felt that there wasn't anything that could be done for it, and that she would have to live with the guilt forever. "I don't think this is something that can be fixed, Professor."

"That's preposterous!" Port boomed out. "You may feel as though it's the end, but so long as you don't give in to the despair, there is always a chance at finding happiness again. Of that, I can guarantee you the truth."

Even though Pyrrha wanted to believe him, she somehow couldn't find it within herself to do that. She couldn't find any way that her feelings would stop, no way for the guilt to die down until it was no more. "No offense, Professor, but I don't think that this problem is that simple."

Professor Port stayed silent for a moment, before reaching into his pocket to pull out a card from his wallet. Taking the card and staring at it for a second, Port placed the card in front of Pyrrha. "I know that this isn't a simple problem," Port said. "And I may not have all the answers that you seek, but I can do everything possible to help you find peace within yourself. Experience has taught me a similar lesson a long time ago, and sometimes it's best to seek out help from someone who can understand it the most."

Returning to the desk and gathering the papers, Professor Port packed up his belongings and started to walk out of the room. Pyrrha watched him the entire time, all the way out the door of the classroom. Only at one point did Port stop, and it was to address Pyrrha once more before leaving. "Even the best of us need help from time to time, no matter how much time has passed. You have a good day Miss Nikos, and I hope you feel better."

Pyrrha looked down at the card that was placed in front of her. It was a business card for what she assumed was a Psychiatrist. Why Port carried a card for one of those with him was beyond Pyrrha, but she wasn't going to question it. Instead she took the card after a few moments and walked out of the room. Looking at the card, Pyrrha almost failed to notice that Ruby was waiting outside the room for her to come back out.

"Hey," Ruby said once she saw Pyrrha, startling the red head.

It was a surprise to see Ruby once again, but Pyrrha immediately felt better about herself. "Hey, how did you meeting with Ozpin go?" Pyrrha asked once she composed herself.

"Well, that's an interesting subject," Ruby said, not revealing too much at the moment. "Can't talk about it in the hallway though, so can we head back into the classroom?" Ruby walked back inside Port's classroom as she mentioned it, motioning for Pyrrha to follow her.

Once they were in, Ruby gave Pyrrha a hug. "I'm sorry for leaving you like that," Ruby said. "I can only imagine how hard it must have been."

Grateful that Ruby was concerned about her well being, Pyrrha returned the hug in earnest. "Given how the past few days have gone for me, I think this wasn't that bad. Though after speaking with Professor Port, he subtly suggested that I see a Psychiatrist."

Hearing the news, Ruby was surprised at that. "Do you think it's a good idea?" She asked, more interested in what Pyrrha thought of the matter. "I think that if it helps you then go for it, but I want to know how you feel about it."

Pyrrha didn't know what to do at first. Part of her had wanted to just say screw it and just bear with the pain on her own, while another part of her knew that it was probably for the best that she go to see the lady. Hearing Ruby say that she thought it was a good idea helped cement Pyrrha's decision.

"I think I'm gonna go see this person after all," Pyrrha admitted. "If it helps me move past this, then I should probably try, if not for myself, than for you since I don't want all the effort you put into me to go to waste."

"Don't think like that," Ruby countered immediately. "I don't want you to feel like you're a waste of time. You're not, you never have been, and you never will be!"

Hearing Ruby speak so passionately about her set Pyrrha's heart on fire. She didn't know what to say, so Ruby took the opportunity to change the topic. "Unfortunately, starting tomorrow, I probably won't be around for a few days. Professor Ozpin is sending my team and I on a mission that should take about a week. Something about how I need to learn about what I can do with the Maiden's power now that it's in my possession."

And in an instant, Pyrrha felt her heart collapse. Knowing that Ruby was leaving was going to be a problem. It meant that the person that had done the most to help her thus far wasn't going to be there when she needed it, and that hurt. Pyrrha knew that she needed to find ways to help herself, but it would be easier if she knew that Ruby was going to be there should she need it after all.

"You're going to be gone?" Pyrrha asked, her voice starting to waver. "You won't be around when I need you?

"Pyrrha, I hate this as much as you do," Ruby said. "But this is my duty, and I can't forget about that. I have a responsibility not just to you, but to everyone as well. That means I need to know what I can do with this power I now have." Giving Pyrrha an even tighter hug than before, Ruby listened to the frantic heart beat within Pyrrha's chest. "I promise you that I won't let anything happen to me while I'm gone, and I'll come back as soon as possible. Ok?"

Calming down, Pyrrha felt her heart rate steady itself out. "I'm gonna hold you to that," She whispered to Ruby. "Promise me that we'll spend the rest of the time we have before tomorrow together?"

"I can do that," Ruby said as she smiled up at Pyrrha. The two of them then walked out of the classroom and went to continue on with the rest of their day.

* * *

The next day, Pyrrha wasn't going to classes. She had spoken with the Psychiatrist that Port had suggested and set up an appointment for the next day. After speaking with Ozpin about it, she got permission to attend the meeting with the doctor. Now however, she was watching as Team RWBY was getting ready to embark on their new assignment.

"You promise me that you'll stay safe out there?" Pyrrha asked, reaffirming what Ruby had already promised her yesterday.

"I promise," Ruby said as she leaned up and gave Pyrrha a hug. Before leaving the embrace, Ruby gave Pyrrha a quick kiss on the cheek, and left Pyrrha a little red in the face as she joined up with her team. Watching as Ruby left, Pyrrha could only wave goodbye to the person who had quickly made her feel like she mattered more than anything else. Once their airship was out of sight however, Pyrrha walked over to a separate part of the docks. She was ready to try and get her life back in order.

* * *

 **AN: You guys really did like what I wrote out for this so far. I will say though, this honestly could have been left as a one shot, but after some thought, I wanted to continue with this and give you a few more chapters like I originally said I would. Our result, more of Pyrrha having depression, guilt, and self doubt, but now we'll have her looking to make things better, so that's always good.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed this second chapter!**


	3. Phobia

' _Well, here goes nothing,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she approached one specific building in Vale. It was the building that belonged to the Psychiatrist that Pyrrha was recommended by Professor Port the day before. Without the burden of classes, Pyrrha was free to speak with someone that would be able and willing to help with this mental anguish that she was experiencing.

The pain within her mind wasn't something that could be defeated with a sword or with physical determination and training. It would take a more subtle touch, a softer hand, a series of kind words to help Pyrrha overcome this. For many, the battle had long since ended, the scars from the fight healed. Some were still fighting, battling injuries they sustained.

Pyrrha felt that her battle was just truly getting started.

' _Ok Pyrrha, you can do this, you just gotta take that first step,_ ' Pyrrha repeated over and over in her mind. Yet no matter how much she fought, how much she drove herself to walk in, it felt impossible for her to accomplish. Her mind was willing to take that first step, but her body wasn't agreeing with that sentiment.

Pyrrha just stood there, paralyzed by her own body's reaction to being there. When she was growing up, therapy had been considered something for the broken and weak. Over time, her own opinion of the matter changed, yet she never once believed that she would be the person standing in front of the therapy office door. Now that she was here though, it was still unbelievable for her mind to comprehend it.

Her thoughts turned to her friends, what they would think of her if they saw her in this position. Yet when she figured that they would belittle her for this, instead she was reminded of just how supportive and caring they were. It was all she needed, that simple reminder that her friend would be there despite this, that helped give her the courage she needed to step through the threshold into the office.

The first thing that she noticed was the way the office seemed a bit bigger than it appeared on the outside. Appearances could be deceiving and all that, but Pyrrha never imagined it would be to this scale. As for the reception area itself, Pyrrha noted how it seemed to carry a calming aura to it, the walls were pink and the office itself was cool. Only one other person was in the room with her, and that was the receptionist at the desk, meaning it was very quiet as well.

Pyrrha only imagined that she would need to go and speak with the receptionist in order to check in for her appointment. Given that most medical offices worked in similar fashions, Pyrrha imagined that it wouldn't be long till she got in, given how empty the office was at this time. What Pyrrha didn't take into account, was just how early in the morning her appointment was. Ruby and her team had left almost at the crack of dawn for their assignment, and Pyrrha in turn made her way to the therapist immediately after seeing them off.

She walked over to the reception desk and waited, awkwardly, for the woman sitting there to notice her. Pyrrha's mind was buzzing with possibilities that were more akin to imaginary scenarios that would have no possibility of coming true. Despite that, Pyrrha still couldn't get them out of her head.

"Hello," The receptionist finally said once she noticed Pyrrha standing there. "Are you here for an appointment?"

"Er, yeah, my name is Pyrrha Nikos," Pyrrha responded to the lady at the desk.

"Alright," The receptionist said as she put some information into the computer at her desk. Once she was finished with that, she grabbed a form from a different part of her desk and a pen, and handed it off to Pyrrha. "Since this is your first time, I need you to fill out some of this information for us so that we can keep the info available and monitor any physical changes that come with some treatment options we give to you."

"Seems straightforward enough," Pyrrha commented as she took the forms and walked over to one of the chairs in the reception area. As Pyrrha was filling the form out, she noticed that it was mostly basic information such as age, gender, height, weight, if she drinks, whether she's done any drugs or takes any medication, etc. Most of the info was probably to see if any of the treatments were affecting her physique and if it was drastic, then they would probably find something else if it wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

It took a few moments for Pyrrha to finish the form, but eventually she did. Handing it back to the desk, she returned to her seat and waited for the appointment to start. Looking over at the clock, Pyrrha noticed that even after filling out the paperwork, she was still ten minutes early for her appointment. Her philosophy was that if you were early, then you were on time, and if you were on time, then that meant you were late.

During the wait, Pyrrha's mind drifted to all kinds of things. She was glad to see that much of the city itself had survived the attack, though the casualty list was still too large for Pyrrha to feel alright with. One casualty was too high in her mind, and it was worse knowing that she dealt the first blow.

"Pyrrha Nikos?"

Hearing someone call her name, Pyrrha's head jolted up and looked towards the now opened door leading to the offices. Standing there was a woman who still looked young, yet carried an air of wisdom around her. "Ah, Miss Nikos, it's a pleasure to meet you," The woman said once she noticed that Pyrrha was the only person in the reception area.

Pyrrha stood up and walked over to the newcomer, accepting a hand that was held out to her by the woman. Pyrrha noticed first and foremost just how short the therapist was. She couldn't have been much taller than Ruby, probably around 5'5, but she certainly appeared to be much older than Ruby was. Her hair was short, wavy, and thick, poofing out and allowing her head to appear larger than it was. Her greenish blue eyes and freckled face had a calming aspect to them that allowed Pyrrha to relax.

"It's nice to meet you too," Pyrrha replied. "Though, I'm sure it's not ideal, given the circumstances."

"Such is the nature of my work," The doctor said. "Oh but where are my manners, I'm Doctor Ella Vert, and I'm going to be your therapist for as long as you need me to be. Might I ask how you found out about this place? It isn't exactly the most advertised, and we mostly deal with Hunters and Huntresses who need to speak with someone, though some others come in from time to time."

"I was actually given a card for this office from Professor Peter Port at Beacon," Pyrrha mentioned as they walked the halls.

"Ah, Peter," Dr. Vert hummed. "He's such a kind man. A bit bombastic, but such is the nature of his personality. Still, I'm glad to see that he can tell when someone needs help." Dr. Vert led Pyrrha into the back rooms and over to an office that Pyrrha could only assume was the Dr.'s own.

Once Pyrrha walked into the office, she noticed that it had much more personality than she had originally anticipated. There were bookshelves filled with all kinds of books on them, ranging from Psychology textbooks, to classic novels and literature, and there was actually a few books pertaining to media studies as well. On her desk sat a couple of picture frames with what looked like the good doctor with a family.

There was also a computer and a desk lamp atop her work space as well, alongside some little knick-knacks that she must have picked up over the years. Little figures of all different varieties, some more culturally intricate than others. In a separate part of the room, she noticed that there was a table of refreshments, a small fridge next to it to keep things cool if it was required. There was also a coffee pot and tea kettle available as well, and Pyrrha could imagine what those were for.

The last thing that she noticed was the window, the view that Pyrrha saw was somewhat breath-taking to say the least. It overlooked a river that ran right through the middle of Vale, the city in the back and the skyline creating an image of absolute beauty.

"Is there anything that I can get to help you feel comfortable, some tea, coffee, water?" Dr. Vert asked, interrupting Pyrrha's exploration, and reminding her of why she was there in the first place.

"Some tea would be nice, if you don't mind," Pyrrha replied.

"Alright," Dr. Vert said as she started up the heater unit to allow the water to heat up. "If you wouldn't mind taking a seat in the chair over here and relaxing, we can get started soon."

Pyrrha noticed the chair that Dr. Vert was referring to, a leather recliner that she could only assume would help people relax. This whole environment seemed to be about relaxation and allowing people to feel comfortable while they talk about the most intimate and personal problems they were facing. She could understand why it would have to be that way, Pyrrha could only imagine the kind of things people needed to talk about with this woman, and if she could help them find a way to make it easier, then she would be more than glad to do so.

Taking a seat, Pyrrha took a better look at the frame that was on the desk, turning it towards her so that she could see the faces in the image. In it, she saw Dr. Vert standing next to what appeared to be her husband, three children standing in front of them varying in height and age.

"Is this your family?" Pyrrha asked, hoping that she wasn't prying too much.

"Yeah, that's my husband Timothy, and our three children, Alexandra, Ryan, and ironically, Pyrrha," Dr. Vert replied. "Alex is 13, Ryan 11, and Pyrrha just turned 8 recently."

"They seem lovely," Pyrrha commented. "Though, I'm surprised you're sharing this with me."

Dr. Vert took a seat at her chair, her hands clasped together and her arms propping her up against the desk. "Well, it ties into how this first session usually goes," Dr. Vert explained as she noticed the tea kettle start to whistle.

Walking over to pull the pot off, she reached into a cabinet and pulled out an assorted box of tea bags, and handed it over to Pyrrha to pick one out. "Usually with this first session, it's meant for us to learn a bit about each other, so that when it comes time for you to share your worries and your troubles, you feel more comfortable about doing so. You'd be surprised with how many people come in here and expect to pour their heart out immediately, only to find that they first need to build a trusting relationship with me so that they feel better about doing just that."

Pyrrha gave the concept some thought, and she realized that while it did make sense to her, she wouldn't try to wrap her head around this kind of thing. It wasn't what she was learning, wasn't what she was going to do with her life. Despite it though, Pyrrha could imagine that it's a pretty satisfying job, helping people deal with the troubles of their own mind.

"Well then," Pyrrha said as she was handed her cup of tea. "I guess we should get started on learning about each other, huh?"

"No need to force it," Dr. Vert said. "I'd rather it come to you naturally, not just because it's what is needed. So, just take a minute, relax, enjoy the small talk, and let the conversation flow on its own."

* * *

Pyrrha didn't realize that after a while, their time together had come to an end. Pyrrha and Dr. Vert ended up talking about all different kinds of things, from Dr. Vert's family, to some of Pyrrha's hobbies and the things she likes, to common interests between the two of them. Once the good doctor told her that their time for this session was up, Pyrrha was, to say the least, surprised that it had gone by that quickly.

By that point, Pyrrha had already scheduled another appointment for a few days from then, and after filling out some other forms in the doctor's office, felt as though she was just getting started on pulling her life back together.

As she walked out of the office, Pyrrha noticed that the reception room had gotten much more crowded than it was when she first came by. It was, however, a surprise to hear someone call out her name as she walked into the room. Turning to see who it was, Pyrrha noticed that one of Beacon's upperclassmen, Velvet Scarlatina, was also in the reception area, her team leader sitting in the seat next to her.

"Hello, Velvet," Pyrrha said cordially.

"Hey," Velvet replied. "Didn't expect to see you here. Everything alright?"

Pyrrha could understand why Velvet was asking. This wasn't exactly a place where the relatively normal people went willingly, so to see someone like Pyrrha there was a bit of a surprise. "I er, just had an appointment with someone here to talk about what happened."

Velvet closed her eyes and nodded. "I understand," She said quietly. "You don't need to say anything else to me, I know it must be hard to talk about already."

"Well, it was my first visit, so we didn't do much talking about that," Pyrrha mentioned.

"Ah, well then I'm glad you feel better about this," Velvet assumed. "You do feel better about coming here, don't you?"

"I certainly do," Pyrrha answered. "Actually, I need to get going. There's something that I need to do."

"Alright, well have a good day, Pyrrha," Velvet said before returning to her seat.

Pyrrha made her way out of the office and started to walk back up towards the academy. She hadn't lied to Velvet when she said that there was something she needed to do, but at the same time, it wasn't something she wanted to share with the older girl. One thing had come to mind while Pyrrha was speaking with the doctor.

She needed to go and visit Jaune.

It was something that she had been putting off for quite a while now. She wanted to avoid seeing the pain that he was in, the broken and bloodied mess that was her partner and team leader. After spending all that time with Ruby, and now after speaking with the therapist, Pyrrha felt like she had dodged it enough. It was time for her to face what she felt she had done.

It took Pyrrha a while before she reached the school's infirmary, the entire journey there she spent thinking of what she would say to Jaune. That was, of course, if he was even awake. No one on her team was told if he had woken up yet, though if she was, then who knows if she would've gone right away. The guilt was still hanging over her for what happened.

Once she got to the room, Pyrrha noticed that Jaune was still asleep, the machinery that was meant to help heal his wounds making the only noise.

Pyrrha looked down at his prone body, the bandages over the wounds that he suffered defending her from harm. Pyrrha grabbed one of the chairs from the room and sat next to his bed. She remained silent, taking in the beeps from the machinery towering over him. It wasn't until she gathered her own thoughts before Pyrrha finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Jaune," She said quietly. "I'm sorry for letting you down, for being the reason that you were hurt in the first place. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to stop this all from happening, and I'm sorry that you deserve to have a better partner than I."

As she poured her feelings out to someone who likely wouldn't even be able to respond, Pyrrha felt tears start to roll down her face for the first time all day. "I'm sorry that I caused all this death and destruction, and then just sat there, paralyzed by my own fear of myself. I'm sorry that you were forced to defend someone who doesn't deserve to be alive right now, and I'm sorry that you got hurt because of it."

The tears became more frequent and they started to cripple her resolve. She felt her body start to shake, felt her words stutter and break apart before they even reached her voice. She felt her heart break as she reminded herself that she was the cause of all this pain and suffering.

"Don't be."

It was faint and Pyrrha almost didn't hear it, but she did. Her eyes immediately jumped up and she saw Jaune looking right at her. Pyrrha sat there, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. She was surprised to see Jaune awake, having heard nothing about him from the doctors or from Professor Ozpin the entire time he was in the hospital.

"J-J-Jaune?" Pyrrha shakily asked.

"Yeah?" Jaune asked back.

Instead of saying anything, Pyrrha ended up nearly jumping on top of him, wrapping him up in a huge hug. She was so overjoyed to see that he was ok, that she forgot the fact that he was in the hospital for a reason.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Jaune cried out once Pyrrha wrapped him up in the hug.

Immediately hearing Jaune's cries, Pyrrha reeled and started to feel terrible once more. "Oh my god I'm so sorry, Jaune," Pyrrha muttered. "I'm such a goddamn idiot, aren't I?" Tears were rolling down her face in force, and she covered her head in her hands.

"Don't sweat it," Jaune painfully replied. "I'm just glad that you're ok."

Hearing how Jaune was so forgiving, it helped alleviate some of Pyrrha's concerns. At that moment though, she was just grateful that she had her partner and team leader back.

* * *

Days had past and Pyrrha was back in the office of Dr. Ella Vert, her next session underway. In that time, Pyrrha had been keeping in touch with Ruby as much as she could. It was always wonderful to see the younger girl's face through the scroll, to hear her voice as they talked for god knows how long. They talked about how the therapy session went, how Jaune had woken up once more, how Pyrrha's first full day of classes went, everything. And when they couldn't talk any further, Pyrrha waited until they could speak again. Eventually, she found herself back at the psychiatrist's office, talking with her about everything that had happened.

When Pyrrha had been told that they would be going more into the details of what was afflicting her, she knew it would be a tough subject to talk about. Having that prior session definitely helped Pyrrha relax around the woman she was speaking with.

Pyrrha recalled the events of the tournament, her fight against Penny, the battle of Beacon, how she just sat there, afraid of herself, everything. Pyrrha left no details out for the doctor to hear about. After talking about that, Pyrrha was asked about the time after the tournament, what she did between then and now.

"Most of my time I just spend in bed, unwilling to get up and do anything," Pyrrha said. "I hated myself, I felt as if everything was my fault, and honestly, I just wanted to die. I thought, maybe if I was gone from this world, the dead might have some form of atonement for the blood on my hands."

Dr. Vert just sat there and stared at Pyrrha for a moment, thinking of how to phrase her next question. "Was there ever a moment where it was something other than a simple thought?"

It was a simple question that Pyrrha should have known would be asked. It wasn't like she didn't try that, her mind recalling that first day she spent with Ruby after what she tried to do. Looking down at the ground, her body starting to shake, Pyrrha didn't know how to say what she needed to say.

She didn't have to, Dr. Vert could discern from her body reaction that her assumption had been correct. "Do you want to talk about it?" Dr. Vert asked.

Pyrrha nodded, her mind already made up. She needed to talk about this to someone, maybe then she could feel better. "I, I was in a bad place, it was a moment where I felt at my worst. I felt like I was alone, that everyone hated me over what had happened. I felt guilty for the deaths that I had caused as a result of my actions, and adding in the feeling of despair and loneliness, I just…" Pyrrha didn't feel like she could go on any further, her body just stopped working under her control.

Dr. Vert walked over and placed a gentle hand on her arm, reassuring her that things were alright. Before the doctor could say anything though, Pyrrha continued.

"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Ruby," Pyrrha blurted out. "She pulled me back from that ledge, both figuratively and literally."

"Ruby?" Dr. Vert asked for clarification.

"She's the person who saved my life, the person who stayed with me after I almost ended it all," Pyrrha mentioned. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here right now. I really owe so much to her."

"Did she help you feel as if someone was there for you," Dr. Vert asked.

Pyrrha nodded, tears still flowing from her eyes. "She never left my side unless it was required," Pyrrha explained further. "She's been such a great friend, someone who I needed more than anything else."

Dr. Vert could start to see Pyrrha cheer up while the subject of Ruby was being talked about. "Do you feel as though she's become an important person in your life?" Dr. Vert asked.

"Without a doubt," Pyrrha answered. Her mind was exhausted from all the emotional stress she had gone through, and so her heart spoke before her mind could process what she was saying. "I wouldn't be alive without her. She's such a great friend and I honestly would probably lose my mind and do something drastic if I lost her, whether as a friend or if she was taken from this world too soon."

Dr. Vert saw something else that she hadn't seen from Pyrrha thus far either, a sense of completeness, and it all revolved around Ruby. She could see that the relationship between the two was strong, forged by fire and tested by the emotions that nearly killed the young lady sitting in front of her. "Well then, the next time you see her, tell her how much she means to you," Dr. Vert finally said. "Remind her that she is such a huge part of your life now. And don't forget to say the things that you wanted to say now, incase the chance never comes again."

Looking over at the clock, Dr. Vert realized that it was time for the session to end. "Unfortunately, that's all we have time for today," Dr. Vert mentioned. "When do you feel you would be up to another appointment?"

"Soon," Pyrrha said, feeling much more relaxed than she had moments ago. Her eyes were red from crying, but she didn't care. She had forgone the idea of looking like she was holding herself together well after the events of the tournament.

After scheduling the next session, Pyrrha made her way back up to Beacon. She had a lot of time to think about what she spoke of with the doctor, and the emotions she felt towards Ruby.

By the time she reached the docks at Beacon, she noticed a crowd of people gathered around another transport that had just arrived, medical staff rushing through the crowd. As Pyrrha strained to get a closer look, she noticed something that made her heart all but stop.

A mess of iconic blonde hair, rushing out of the transport with a body in her arms.

Pyrrha ran over to the transport to find out what was going on, but with the mass that was blocking her, she only got a glimpse at who the medical staff was taking away. On the stretcher, Pyrrha saw Ruby, unconscious but still alive, blood having soaked through her clothes. Ruby's teammates were not far behind the staff, rushing with them over to the academy's hospital, while Pyrrha was stuck with the crowd.

With no way to reach them, Pyrrha felt tears roll down her eyes.

She was afraid that she had just lost the most important person in her life right now, Ruby.

* * *

 **AN: Yo, I'm back with this story for you guys! I know that canon has everything completely different, but you know what fuck it! I don't care, I'll write whatever the fuq I want, and no body gonna tell me that I can't. I have one last chapter after this, so you guys get this story one more time before it's done!**

 **I wanted to mention that the therapist in this chapter is actually based off of my fiance, who is about to graduate with a degree in Psychology, so I wanted to give her a shoutout with this. She's been so supportive of me in all the time that I've been writing, and I couldn't thank her enough for all the love she has given me.**

 **Anyway, thank you guys for tuning in, and I'll see you guys later.**


	4. We Are Not Alone

Pyrrha couldn't believe what she had just seen in front of her. She was still standing on the docks where Team RWBY's airship had returned to. Most of the crowd had dispersed, but she remained there. Pyrrha was frozen out of fear that she might have lost the one person who helped pull her through these troubling times the most. Ruby helped her when no one else was able to, showed her that she deserved another chance at life. If Pyrrha were to hear that that same person then lost their own life, she would be devastated by the very thought.

She didn't know how long she was standing there, tears starting to flow down her face. She didn't know who out of the remaining crowd was watching her, seeing how distraught she was over the loss of her friend. She didn't know if anyone even cared about what was going on, too interested in their own devices or thoughts to take notice.

She didn't even notice when Weiss and Blake showed up right next to her.

When Pyrrha finally did notice, she closed her eyes and hugged herself tightly. Weiss walked up in front of Pyrrha and held her arm out to caress the tall redhead's. "You alright?" Weiss asked after seeing Pyrrha lift her head up to look at her.

"W-what h-h-happened?" Pyrrha mumbled, her voice wavering from the emotions that wracked her body.

"Nothing serious," Weiss replied. "Ruby just got over-exhausted and we figured it was better to have her looked at since she has those new powers of hers."

Pyrrha shut her eyes and let her head drop to the ground when Weiss mentioned Ruby's Maiden powers. The same powers that Pyrrha blamed herself for forcing upon Ruby in the first place. ' _It's all my fault,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself. ' _Ruby wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn't because of me and my actions. I know she doesn't blame me, but someone has to take responsibility for what happened to her and to everyone else._ '

The thoughts once again appeared in her mind. She was making progress to overcome them, but in that moment in time, Pyrrha couldn't help but lose herself with that line of thinking. Her friend was hurt and she felt responsible for it. Despite everyone telling her otherwise, she believed that it was all because of her.

' _Remind her that she is such a huge part of your life now. And don't forget to say the things that you wanted to say now, incase the chance never comes again._ '

Pyrrha remembered exactly what it was that Dr. Vert had said to her earlier in the day. She was reminded just how close she was to losing Ruby, and who knows what could happen tomorrow. After a few moments, Pyrrha stopped shaking and lifted her head up to speak with Weiss. She was done waiting around to tell Ruby how she felt for the things that she had done in the past few days. She was done waiting to remind Ruby just how important she has become, and she was done hiding from her fears.

"Take me to see her, now," Pyrrha demanded, no room for negotiation left from the redheaded woman.

Without any resistance or hesitation, Weiss and Blake walked with Pyrrha over to the medical win in the school. Blake had been texting Yang and asking her where they have Ruby resting while Weiss was speaking with Pyrrha. Pyrrha walked quietly behind the pair, her only thoughts resting with Ruby.

They passed by many people, but no one bothered to stand in their way. Looking at Pyrrha, no one could blame them. She had a fire in her eyes that no one believed could be extinguished. Blake and Weiss exchanged a few glances in her direction, every time her expression remained unchanged. Between the two of them, they could piece together that Pyrrha had something going on with Ruby. What it was however, neither of them could figure out.

Eventually they came upon Ruby's room, and Pyrrha stood out in front of the door. She didn't want to just barge in there, but at the same time, she hated waiting to see what she should do. Fortunately for her, Weiss walked in first in order to see if it was alright for Pyrrha to go into the room. Moments later, Weiss came back out of the room and nodded to Pyrrha, holding the door open for her to walk in.

The first thing that Pyrrha noticed was that Ruby was sleeping comfortably on her bed. There was no where near as many machines hooked up to her as there was hooked up to Jaune, so that was a good sign in Pyrrha's mind. She heard the sounds of a heart monitor beeping at a steady and even pace, and light breathing from Ruby as she slept soundly.

Pyrrha glanced over at the other person sitting in the room with them, her chair on the left side of Ruby's bed, Yang. She could see the concern on the blonde's face, Ruby was her sister and was in the hospital because of some injuries she sustained while fighting. Needless to say, Pyrrha felt that maybe the blonde wasn't in the best of moods, so she needed to pick her words carefully.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking," Pyrrha said as she dragged a chair over to the other side of Ruby's bed.

"She got hurt," Yang explained, though she definitely sounded upset while doing so. Pyrrha noticed that Yang was glancing down at her arm, or rather, what was now in it's place. During the fight, Yang lost her right arm above the elbow, and while she got a advanced prosthetic, Pyrrha could only imagine what it had done to Yang mentally.

' _Just another pain that I've caused to someone,_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself as she waited for Yang to continue.

"My arm was acting up, it was one of the first times that I've had to use this thing," Yang went on to explain. "Ruby decided to use that new power thing that she got because of the fight weeks ago. She ended up using too much and ran out of energy, leaving her undefended for a beowolf to come up and take a swing at her before we could stop it from happening."

Pyrrha just closed her eyes and let her head drop. She propped herself on the bed with her arms as she felt the weight of what happened crashing down onto her yet again.

"She wasn't hurt that badly because of the strike, but Weiss and I agreed that it was best to bring her back to the infirmary to see if there was any sort of complications," Yang continued to explain to Pyrrha. "The worst of it was a couple of gashes on her arm, but the medical team that picked us up took care of it on the ride back over, so all she needs now is rest."

"It probably was for the best," Weiss said. When Weiss and Blake entered the room, Pyrrha couldn't tell, but she wasn't focusing on what it was that they were saying. She turned to look at Ruby, the calm that rested on her face. Pyrrha felt as though she couldn't truly call Ruby a friend now because of what she had done to her once again.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Pyrrha muttered, though everyone in the room picked up on what she had said. "This is all my fault."

"What do you mean?" Yang asked. "You weren't the one that got Ruby hurt."

Pyrrha just shook her head, tears rolling down her face as she denied everything Yang said to her. "You're wrong," She sobbed out. "Ruby's hurt because of what I did back in the tournament."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Weiss asked.

"Everything!" Pyrrha shouted, her arms giving out on her once she finished. She cried more into the bed, the sheets doing all they could to muffle her sobs. Lifting her head up and laying it on it's side, Pyrrha continued. "If I had only stopped the fight before things got out of hand, maybe Penny would still be around. If I hadn't have killed her, the battle that took place here at Beacon wouldn't have occurred. Yang would still have her arm, Jaune wouldn't have gotten hurt, and Ruby…" Pyrrha looked over towards Ruby, hoping that there was something that the young girl could say in order to help make her feel better. "Ruby wouldn't have to bear the burden of having those powers she got."

Yang looked over to Weiss and Blake, hoping they could come up with something to help snap Pyrrha out of it. "Pyrrha, none of us are blaming you for what happened," Blake said to her. "We got hurt in the fighting, yes, and some of us got hurt worse than others, including yourself. There was nothing that you could have done to stop this from happening, and if you think there could have been, then you're a damn fool for thinking that way."

Pyrrha just shook her head, she didn't know if she could believe what Blake was saying, even if she wanted to do so. "I don't know if it's possible for me to forgive myself for failing," Pyrrha said. "I was supposed to protect the people, it's all I ever wanted to do. Yet it seems like my actions, despite how I tried to protect, I've only brought death and destruction to the world."

"Pyrrha, just stop."

Everyone turned towards the door to see the newcomers that had arrived at Ruby's room. What surprised everyone the most was that Jaune stood up with Ren and Nora by his side. Despite supporting himself on the machinery that was attached to his body, Jaune looked determined to snap Pyrrha out of her miserable streak.

Pyrrha, despite how much her legs started to shake, stood up and walked over to face Jaune herself. "J-Jaune?" She stuttered, before Jaune cut her off.

"None of us blame you for what happened, no matter what you think of the matter yourself," Jaune explained. "I went and fought harder than I ever did in my entire life, because you deserved a chance to live yours. I don't regret getting hurt at all, and I don't blame you for anything that happened. So please, stop blaming yourself already, it hurts us all to see you like this."

That was the final straw, the last of Pyrrha's strength gave out on her after Jaune's words cut right through to her heart. Pyrrha's legs gave out from under her and she started to collapse to the ground in agony. Instead of hitting the floor however, she felt Blake and Weiss wrap their arms around Pyrrha and help keep her upright.

Pyrrha was sobbing uncontrollably by that point, muttering apologies as she knew that she couldn't stand on her own. Her head was facing downward, no support from anything keeping it upright.

Eventually, she felt more arms wrap around her, as Yang came up from behind to give her a hug as well. Then Nora and Ren came around to the sides and added on. Lastly, Jaune came right up to Pyrrha's front and propped her head upon his own shoulder, letting her cry into it for as long as she needed.

After a few moments, Pyrrha's tears finally faded away, and she looked up to see all of her friends smiling faces. A fresh wave of tears came down, but instead, they were tears of joy. A smile crossed her face for the first time in since she was with Ruby all those days ago. Eventually, everyone let go of the hug and let Pyrrha finally stand on her own.

"Don't worry, Pyrrha," Jaune said, taking a step forward and feeling his body start to collapse.

Seeing her partner, team leader, friend, starting to fall down like that, Pyrrha immediately reached out and grasped onto him and helped him stand up. "Are you ok, Jaune?" She asked right away.

"I knew you'd catch me," Jaune said, confusing Pyrrha. "No matter what happens, we'll always support each other." Jaune grabbed a hold of the machinery attached to his body and held himself up with it, allowing Pyrrha to let go of her own grasp and stand on her own once more. "We'll always be here to help you through whatever it is that you're going through. You're not alone."

"You're wrong…" Pyrrha said. Everyone was curious as to what she meant, but after seeing a smile cross her face, they were more confused than anything. " _We_ are not alone."

That thought filled everyone with cheer, the knowledge that no matter what happened, they would always have someone to go to when they needed help. It certainly brought a much better cheer to the room itself, and there was smiles all around.

Even from Ruby as she lay in her bed, listening in on the conversation around her.

* * *

Years had gone by since the tournament. Team RWBY and JNPR both graduated and became fully fledged Hunters and Huntresses. Pyrrha ended up staying in Vale full time though, taking up a teaching position with Beacon Academy in the Combat department. She taught the students how to fight while she was there, preparing them to be the next generation of warriors.

As Pyrrha sat in her office, she looked down and saw the ring that was resting on her left hand, a symbol of her everlasting love to the one she gave everything for. It brought a smile to Pyrrha's face every time she gazed upon the gemstone that rested within the center. The ruby stone surrounded by a blossoming flower made of silver, a ring that became just one part of the bond that Pyrrha shared with Ruby.

Once Ruby woke up after her initial injuries while on that mission so long ago, Pyrrha confessed to Ruby how she felt. Ruby of course, wanted to make sure that it was actual love and not just feelings of salvation from her acts, which Pyrrha understood. Two months later, while on a mission, Pyrrha told Ruby that her feelings for her had only gotten stronger. Ever since that day, Ruby and Pyrrha formed a relationship that ended up standing against the tests of time and all different kind of things that the world threw their way.

They had gone through so much, seen so many parts of the world together, than they eventually tightened their bond to something unbreakable. After returning home one night from classes, Pyrrha didn't hesitate to propose to Ruby, surprising her with the biggest change in their lives. Their eventual wedding was something that most never got to experience. Weiss ended up making it out to be much more of a grandiose event than either Ruby or Pyrrha had wanted, but neither of them wanted to break her spirit with their feelings.

Now Pyrrha is Beacon Academy's combat instructor, replacing Professor Goodwitch as she became the school's administrator full time. Her impressive fighting record before the battle that had taken place at Beacon was more than enough to qualify her for the position. After the battle, she only improved her skills with a drive like no other. She refused to participate in the next Vytal Festival, citing that what happened with her before will always haunt her until she dies. Despite that though, she competed in a few individual low level tournaments. After graduating, Professor Ozpin immediately offered her the position, which Pyrrha accepted immediately.

Ruby and Pyrrha eventually built a home for themselves out near the forest of Forever Fall. It was close enough for the two of them to be able to reach civilization whenever they needed to, but secluded enough that they could have the privacy that each of them wanted so desperately. Pyrrha was especially grateful for that, because she could enjoy the comforts of spending some time at home without having to worry about who was going to try and ask her for an autograph, or a photo out on the streets.

Looking through the list of students and marking their grades in the computer at her desk, Pyrrha sighed as she typed away. A knock on the door grabbed her attention though, and she put the grades on pause while she responded to this. "Enter," Pyrrha said as she waited for the door to open up.

Of course, once she saw who it was, a smile burst right across her face. "How did I just know you would be stopping by to say hello?" Pyrrha asked as she stood up from her desk and walked up to her wife.

"What reason would I have to not stop by and see my lovely wife?" Ruby asked. "I got done briefing Ozpin on my assignment, and I figured you had some free time right now, so I thought, why not go into town and get some lunch? I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting out and spending a little bit of time with me."

Pyrrha smiled and gave her wife a kiss. She was still just slightly taller than Ruby, despite the younger woman having grown a few inches in the past few years. "I think that would be just lovely," Pyrrha whispered to Ruby. "Just let me wrap up a few things here. I was in the middle of putting in students grades and I want to finish with that before I go anywhere."

"You sure it can't wait?" Ruby asked. Though Pyrrha knew that she was fine with this, it was endearing to see Ruby act that way when it came to spending time together. "I'm sure a few of the kids wouldn't mind getting zeros for grades if they know it's for a good cause."

That got a nice laugh out of Pyrrha, her wife seemed to be able to do that at any point in time. "I would love to do that, but alas if I don't do it now, I'm only going to get yelled at by Glynda," Pyrrha explained. "You know as well as I do that even if you are one of the maidens, you are in no way excused from punishment for convincing me to go out to lunch with you and forgetting about student grades."

Ruby shrugged and just chuckled to herself. "I could probably take Goodwitch no problem."

Pyrrha just laughed and shook her head as she took a seat and continued where she left off. "I do believe you could," Pyrrha agreed. "However, I honestly would rather we don't test that theory. Don't need to blow holes in the school, have to deal with getting fired when you beat her, or even...you know."

Ruby knew what Pyrrha was talking about immediately. She knew that Pyrrha was worried that she would lose the one person who helped save her life, the person who meant more to her than herself at times. On instinct, Ruby walked up behind Pyrrha's desk and hugged Pyrrha as she sat in her chair, pressing her lips to Pyrrha's cheek and kissing it.

"I promise you that I'm not going anywhere any time soon," Ruby whispered into Pyrrha's ear.

Pyrrha let her head fall backwards and into Ruby's shoulder. She closed her eyes and took in the embrace even more. She felt like the luckiest woman alive.

"I'll hold you too it then."

* * *

 **AN: And now we can slap the completed tag on this fic! I just couldn't help but give this a happy ending, despite how absolutely depressing it was earlier in the story. Thank you guys so much for sticking with it, and I'm really glad that you guys enjoyed this as much as you did. I couldn't have gotten this finished without you, and I'm being 100 percent honest with you.**

 **Also, did you guys notice what I did with the chapter titles?**

 **Now that I'm finished with this, I can move on to the other things that I need to work on. While this was fun, it's a good place to call it and let the story end. You guys are awesome and I can't thank you guys enough for this.**

 **-NobleMETA**


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